Onondaga Community College midfielder Adam Traynor said it all
during a postgame celebration with teammate Desi Gonzales. The
Lazers are NJCAA men's lacrosse champions again.

Onondaga got two goals and two assists from Jerome Thompson and
three goals from his brother, Jeremy, to defeat defending national
champion Nassau Community College, 9-8, on Sunday at a brisk
and windy Wehrum Stadium.

"What a feeling it is for these guys," Onondaga coach Chuck
Wilber said. "Our slogan all year has been ‘deserve it,' and
today, they deserved it."

Nassau (14-5) had a 2-1 lead after the first quarter,
but the Lazers scored four unanswered second-quarter goals and went
into halftime leading 5-3.

In a game in which most goals were scored in bunches, Onondaga
maintained a slim lead throughout the second half. Lions midfielder
Shannon Robinson drove across the front of the goal and scored from
close range with 4:01 left in the game, cutting the Lazers' lead to
9-8.

But the Thompson brothers controlled the possession for Onondaga
in the last four minutes and never gave the Lions another chance to
get back into the game.

"We're going to put it in those two sticks and see what they can
do with it," Wilbur said. "Nassau is so talented offensively. We
didn't want to give them another touch."

The Lazers finished the season 16-0 and have won three of the
last four NJCAA national championships.

Both Thompson brothers hope to someday play at Syracuse. Jerome
said he is waiting for his grades this semester to learn if he'll
have NCAA eligibility, while Jeremy has a few
more classes to take before he could be eligible.

"It was a good experience being here. I'm just glad to be where
I am right now," Jerome Thompson said after hugs and photographs
with friends, family and fans. "I'm grateful for everything that
has come at me."

"We turned the ball over too many times," he said. "They're a
very talented team."

Onondaga's Ed Prevost, who will play for North Carolina next
season, had three shots on the afternoon. He was hit hard by a
Nassau player with 9:02 left in the game and was down on
the field for about 30 seconds before standing up and walking
off unassisted.

After the game, Jeremy Thompson was named offensive most
valuable player for the tournament. Four Lazers and three Lions
were named to the all-tournament team, including Jerome Thompson
and Onondaga goalie Jon Fiorillo, who had 26 saves in two
games on the weekend.

"We knew we were going to meet them at the end of the year,"
Jerome Thompson said. "I just knew I had to have a big game."